Because State Gov Info Needs to be Free — in the public domain!

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WHY:

“Contrary to popular belief, state agencies do have the right to copyright their publications.” ~Margaret T. Lane, “Selecting and Organizing State Government Publications” 1987.

Even if states do not actively place a copyright mark on their publications, 17 US Code Section 102(a) automatically places them under copyright. Additionally, states do have the ability to actively copyright their publications. Unfortunately, most state laws are ambiguous and often unknown, even by agencies within their state. FSGI is seeking to clarify these policies and ensure the widest possible access and use of state government information.